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Arachnophobia is one of the most common phobias; a fear of spiders that can be overwhelming to those who suffer from it. When they see a spider running across the floor they are either going to run screaming out of the room or grab a shoe to try to crush it. Although it is tempting to do either, you may just want to consider taking a deep breath and letting the spider go free.

Photo: Little Rock Airforce Base

Most of us live in a fairytale, feeling that spiders won’t come into our home if it is extremely clean. If you feel that way, you might be interested in what Matt Bertone had to say in an article for The Conversation. Bertone, along with his North Carolina State University colleagues took a survey of 50 homes in North Carolina and do you know what they found? They found spiders in every home!

Bertone says something that most people with arachnophobia are not going to want to hear. Spiders are predators so they will eat almost anything they can find and they are going to make their way into the home. In fact, they are part of the ecosystem inside of your home and will eat anything from a mosquito to a dead fly. They may even eat other spiders, which you might find comforting. That is why you may just want to give the spider a little bit of extra room because they are working on your behalf.

Photo: Wikimedia

In addition, most of the spiders that find their way into your home are not going to be the huge, hairy monsters that we may see in our imagination. Most of them are just cobweb or cellar spiders that are absolutely harmless. It is true that they may be venomous but even if they were to bite you, it is unlikely they would pierce the skin and if they did, the venom isn’t strong enough to affect you. If you happen to be somebody that hates the thought of spiders crawling on you while you are asleep, it is likely that you are making enough noise and moving around enough that they will stay away.

You may not see the spiders in your home but keep in mind, they are there, nonetheless. They also work on your behalf to keep your home free of insects and perhaps even other spiders. You may not enjoy seeing them but maybe you can live with them after all.

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